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After Luo Xiyun went into the bathroom, Chen Xu also got up to put on clothes, casually folding the quilt.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, he noticed a mark on the sky-blue sheet... it made him feel strange.
"Could it be..."
His heart skipped a beat as he considered a possibility. The more he looked at the mark, the more he thought his suspicion was right.
Last night...?
Didn't she have a boyfriend?
He found it hard to believe.
The mark was too faint in color, initially he hadn't thought in that direction, but under normal circumstances, there was no reason for it to be colored. Apart from that possibility, there was no other explanation.
He thought for a moment, then walked over to the trash can...
As expected.
A surge of indescribable feelings welled up inside her.
...
After a while, Luo Xiyun came out of the shower and saw that Chen Xu was not in the room. She was about to step out to look for him when she suddenly noticed the sheet, her face flushing slightly. Quickly, she went over to gather up the sheet and replaced it with a new one from the cabinet.
Just as she finished, Chen Xu came in with a tray, saying, "I made breakfast, come and eat it while it's hot."
Luo Xiyun noticed that the porridge contained dates, goji berries, and red beans, which seemed a bit odd. "I thought you didn't like sweet things?"
"This is specially made for you." Chen Xu pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed, picked up a bowl, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, and brought it to her mouth.
Luo Xiyun, feeling a bit uneasy with his sudden enthusiasm, blocked him with her hand and said, "I'd rather do it myself."
Chen Xu did not insist and handed the bowl and spoon to her, saying, "Eat a bit more, there's still a lot in the pot. After you're done, I'll serve you another helping."
"You eat too." Luo Xiyun, noticing his intense gaze on her, felt her face heat up and said to him.
"Okay." Chen Xu picked up a bowl and started eating as well.
After breakfast, Chen Xu washed the pot and bowls and returned to see her with furrowed brows, looking worried. He sat beside her and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"
"No... I..." Luo Xiyun hesitated, lowered her head, and dared not look at him as she softly said, "What if... what if I get pregnant? What will we do?" Her voice grew quieter and quieter until it was almost inaudible.
Chen Xu had never seen her so shy and reserved, completely overturning the image he had of her, the difference making his heart itch. He leaned closer to her ear and said, "If you really are, then just have the baby."
Luo Xiyun, flustered and embarrassed, pushed him away. "This isn't the time to be spouting nonsense."
Seeing that she was really a bit anxious, Chen Xu stopped teasing her and comforted her, saying, "Don't worry, you are in the safe period now, you won't get pregnant."
Just as he finished speaking, he noticed Luo Xiyun looking at him with a strange expression, making him feel a bit guilty. He asked, "Why are you looking at me like this? Am I wrong?"
She used an odd tone to say, "How do you know that?"
"Know what?"
"Safe period."
Only then did Chen Xu realize that this was why she had such a strange expression. He suddenly didn't know how to answer. Indeed, under normal circumstances, for a man to pay attention to a woman's menstrual cycle when they're not in a relationship would be quite peculiar.
Luo Xiyun gritted her teeth and said, "I knew it, you're such a pervert."
Her face was tinged with a layer of blush, her eyes seemingly covered with a layer of mist, and she spoke with a nasal voice. Although it was a reproachful remark, it came out as entangled and affectionate, stirring Chen Xu's heart.
With a mischievous smile, he said, "So, how does it feel to roll in the sheets with a pervert?"
Luo Xiyun's face turned completely red. She pushed him away forcefully and said hatefully, "Disgusting."
Chen Xu laughed heartily and stopped teasing her, lest she fly into a rage and take it out on him in the end.
...
Their relationship had made a breakthrough, and in the days that followed, they began to truly live together.
Day by day passed, and the wind and snow outside seemed to grow increasingly more violent.
By the fifth day, Chen Xu finally made up his mind to take Luo Xiyun out for a trip to get some gasoline.
He had a premonition that as the time approached for the dream to end, the climate would become more and more severe. If they didn't go, they wouldn't be able to go at all.
By now, there was more than half a meter of snow outside, making it impossible to drive. So, he spent another two days preparing, and on the seventh day, they finally set off.
On the departure day, Chen Xu drove a bulldozer in front to clear the snow. Luo Xiyun followed behind in a large truck. They were in need of gasoline, although they still had a large stock of diesel. This time, they loaded half a truckload of diesel.
This naturally slowed down their speed.
They dared not rest on the way, fearing that if the vehicle broke down, they'd be stuck for sure.
It took a full ten hours to traverse that icy area and reach the construction area Chen Xu had been to before. Soon, they found a gas station.
After driving for so long, they were exhausted and decided to rest for the night and continue the next day. Nearby, they found a building with doors wide enough, moved the bulldozer and truck inside.
Originally a tile store, the door had been locked, but Chen Xu pried it open. The space inside was large enough. He used the bulldozer to push the displayed tiles to one side, making room for two vehicles.
Then, Chen Xu took a small camping gas stove from the truck and cooked a pot of noodles. The two ate voraciously around the pot until nothing was left.
After eating the noodles, Chen Xu finally felt alive again. The bulldozer had no heating, and he had almost been frozen stiff.
After resting for a while, he built a fire in a corner and set up a tent nearby.
"When will this snow finally stop?"
After their work was done, the two sat in front of the fire for warmth. Luo Xiyun hugged her knees and stared at the flames as if talking to herself.
Chen Xu looked at her face, glowing red from the fire, and said gently, "It shouldn't last much longer."
Luo Xiyun turned to look at him, "What if it never stops?"
For a moment, Chen Xu didn't know how to answer, because he knew that this snow might indeed never stop falling.
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